GULF WATCH: Day 106 : A Daily Briefing Paper On Developments In The Crisis
Political Front:
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Les Aspin (D-Wis.) called President Bush an “inept communicator” who has failed to convey to the American public the reasons for the massive military deployment in the Persian Gulf.
Bush’s approval rating has fallen to a new low of 49%, according to a Times Mirror poll taken as the President was announcing an expanded military buildup in the gulf. Military Front:
The President will leave Washington today on an eight-day trip to Europe and the Middle East, where he will visit American soldiers in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day. Bush will be the first President to visit front-line troops since Lyndon Johnson in Vietnam.
Hundreds of U.S. Marines, backed by 1,100 aircraft and 16 warships, launched a six-day amphibious assault exercise at an undisclosed location off the Saudi coast. The operation, which includes Saudi troops, was code-named “Imminent Thunder.” Strategic Front:
Middle East experts in the State and Defense departments are expressing concern that the nation is headed toward war in the Persian Gulf without considering the long-term consequences or giving other options a chance to work. The Sea Blockade:
Number of ship interceptions: 3,592
Number of ships boarded: 412
Number of ships diverted: 16
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